Air extracting and can closing machine



April 26, 1932.

C. A. ANDERSON AIR EXTRACTING AND CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3, 19305 Sheets-Sheet l April 26, 1932. c. A. ANDERSON AIR EXTRACTING AND CANCLOSING MACHINE a Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 3, 1930 men/i05 April 26,1932. c. A. ANDERSON AIR EXTRACTING AND CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed Dec.5, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 cat/liQzfzde/"sovb,

Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARE A. ANDERSON, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS,.ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL CAN COMPANY, A

CORPORATION OF MAINE AIR EXTRACTING AND CAN CLOSING MACHINE Applicationfiled. December 3, 1930. Serial No. 499,840.

This invention relates to improvements in air extracting and can closingmachines.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine for extracting airfrom a can and pressing a friction type cover on the same for vacuumpacking the contents of the can.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism comprising apair of co-opcrating members adapted to be brought to.- gether to forman air tight enclosure for a can and a cover resting on a support in theenclosure, and from which enclosure and can the air can be extracted,after which by a movement of said members downwardly in unison whilestill maintaining their airtight relation the cover of the can can bepressed into sealing position thereon.

Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangementof parts, which will be apparent from a consideration of the followingspecification and accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a frontelevation of a machine embodying the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig.2, parts being omitted for the sake of clarity, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a can support.

In the drawings, a base or standard 10 is shown upon which is secured abed 11. The bed 11 has a vertical recess therethrough and is providedwith upper horizontal flanges 12, to which is secured a housing13. Inthe form of the invention shown, the'housing has a central threadedpassage therein in which is positioned a pipe 14: provided with anintermediate portion 14a which has a smooth cylindrical wall. The upperend ofthe pipe is threaded to the can supporting member 15, which, asshown in Fig. 4, is provided with radial grooves 15a, whereby when a canis supported thereon air can flow to the passage in the pipe forexhaustingthe air, as willbe hereinafter described. The member 15 isalso provided with a marginal rib 15b for center-- ing the can on thesupport. The housing 13 is recessed as shown in Fig. 3 to accommodate ahood closing or lower chamber forming member 16. T he member 16 1srecessed to enable it to slide vertically along the smooth cylindricalportion 14a of the pipe 14.

packing gland 17 is provided for securing the packing 18 in place andpermitting the tightening of the same from time to time upon the pipe toprevent leakage of air upwardly around the exterior of the pipe. Thebase 16, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with a flange 19 having itsupper edge'normally approximately in the plane of the support 15. The

member 16 is held normally in the position mentioned by helical springs20 which are positioned in recesses 21 in the housing 13 and which bearagainst the lower surface of the closing member 16. Guiding studs 22 forthe springs preferably are provided as shown.

Secured to the upper surface of the bed 11 is a pair of vertical guides23 having grooves in which slide a pair of slide members 2& to which issecured an upperchamber member 25 of hood-likeshape. The member 25 has acylindrical recess 26 open at the bottom, within which recess is secureda cover pressing member or die 27. The lower edge of the hood-isprovided with resilient material 28, such as rubber, for example. Thehood 25 is adapted to be reciprocated as desired, by means of an arm orpitman indicated generally by the numeral 29, the lower end of which issecured to a crank shaft 30 adapted to be rotated through a clutchmechanism 31 by the belt driven pulley 32. It will be seen that as thepulley 32 is rotated the slide members 2 1 will be reciprocated in theguides 23, and the hood 25 will be thus moved toward and away from thechamber forming member 16. Theextent of the downward movement of thehoodor upper chamber forming member 25'is indicated by dotted lines inFig. 3, in which it will be seen that the hood forms an enclosure withthe member 16 when the hood has descended into contact with the flange19. A further downward movement of the hood is permitted due to theresilient mounting ofthe member 16.

In Fig. 1 is shown a conveyor 33 arranged to convey cans 34 to themachine. A second conveyor 35 on the opposite side of the ma chine maybe provided for carrying the cans away'after the covers have beenpressed into position. In use, the operator moves the can from conveyor33 to the support 15, the cover of the can resting loosely thereon. Bypressing a foot pedal 36 downwardly the clutch 31 functions to rotatethe shaft a complete revolution, thereby causing the hood 25 to make acomplete downward and upward stroke. When the hood 25 contacts with theclosing member 16, thus forming an air tight chamber enclosing a can, acam 37 carried by the crank shaft 30, actuates a pivoted lever 38 whichdepresses a plunger 39 of the valve 40 in the vacuum line 11, thusopening the valve and effecting communication with the hood chamber andthe vacuum tank 42 or other suction means, whereupon the air isexhausted from the hood chamber and the can positioned therein. The hood25 continues its downward movement to the dotted line position shown inFig. 3, the resilient mounting of the hood closing member 16 permittingthis movement as above mentioned. In actual practice the extent of thedownward movement of the hood after initial contact with the closingmember 16 is about one inch, during which period of movement the valve40 is held open by the cam 37 for adequately exhausting the air. Justprior to the completion of the downward stroke of the hood, the coverclosing member 27 is brought into contact with the cover and presses itinto sealing position on the can. The cam 37 releases the lever 38 andpermits the valve &0 to close, thus shutting off communication of thesuction means or vacuum tank with the hood chamber prior to theseparation of the hood from the closing member 16 during the upwardstroke of the hood.

The clutch 31 above mentioned is of conventional. construction andserves to effect one complete rotation of the shaft 30 each time thepedal is depressed and the foot removed. Since it forms no part, per se,of the present improvements, its details will not be described. Afterthe completion of the upward stroke of the hood or to the po sitionshown in Fig. 2, the operator shoves the can over to the conveyor 35 andslides the next can. from the conveyor 33 upon the member 15 for similaroperation. The pitman or arm 29 is adjustable in length, as shownparticularly in Fig. 1, whereby the downward stroke of the hood can beadjusted in accordance with the height of the cans being operated on. Agauge 43 may be connected to the hood 25 for indicating the degree ofvacuum in the can enclosing chamber.

The can may be of any suitable friction cover construction, the coverpreferably being provided with a sealing compound to insure an air tightfit.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention forthe purpose of illustration, I do not wish to be restricted specificallythereto, except as so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a recessed housing, amovable chamber base positioned in said housing, means for resilientlyurging said base upwardly within the recess of said housing, a supportfor a can positioned above said base, a hood movable into contact withsaid base for forming an airtight chamber for said can and support,means comprising an air extraction duct communicating with said chamberfor removing air from the same and said can, a cover seating membercarried by said hood, and means for moving said hood and base downwardlyagainst the action of said resilient means for effecting the engagementof said seating member with a cover on said can for pressing said coverinto sealing position.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a housing, a support fora can associated therewith, a vertically reciprocal hood open at thebottom movable over said can an d support, a bottom closing member forsaid hood resiliently supported by said housing and adapted to contactand move with said hood during a portion of each stroke thereof, airextraction means for extracting air from said hood and can, means forrendering said air extracting means effective during the downward strokeof said hood after contact ing of the same with said bottom closingmember, and a cover positioning member in said hood for pressing saidcover into sealing position on said can during the final portion of thedownward stroke of said hood.

3.. A machine of the class described, comprising a stationary supportfor a can and a cover resting loosely thereon, a reciprocal hood open atthe bottom adapted to move downwardly over said can and support, aclosing member for said hood resiliently mounted adjacent said supportand adapted to be moved by said hood during a portion of the downwardstroke thereof, air extracting means communicating with the chamberformed by said hood and closing member, a valve for said extractingmeans, clutch controlled mechanism for actuating said hood, a camactuated by said mechanism for opening said valve for rendering saidextracting means eflective for removing air from said chamber and can,and a cover positioning member carried by saidhood for pressing saidcover into sealing position on said can during the final portion of thedownward stroke of said hood.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a stationary housinghaving a recess in the upper side thereof, a stationary support for acan having a cover loosely resting on the same, said support beingpositioned concentrically with respect to said recess, a hood closingmember resiliently mounted in said recess, a hood having an open bottommovable downwardly over said can and cover into contact with saidclosing member to form an airtight chamber enclosing said can and cover,said hood closing member being movable into said recess upon contact ofthe same by said hood, means for extracting air from said chamber duringthe downward movement of said closing member, and a cover seating membercarried by said hood for pressing said cover into sealing position onsaid can during the final portion of the downward stroke of said hood.

5. A machine of the class described comprising a recessed housing havingan air extraction tube extending through the same, a stationary supportfor a can on the upper end of said tube, a hood open at the bottomadapted to move downwardly over said can and support, a spring resistedhood closing member movable in said recess on said tube and adapted tocontact with said hood for closing the open end thereof to form a vacuumchamber for said can and a cover resting loosely thereon, a coverpositioning member carried by said hood for sealing said cover on saidcan during the latter portion of the downward stroke of said hood, andmeans for extracting air from said chamber through said tube aftercontact of said hood and closing member and prior to the sealing of saidcover by said cover positioning member.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

CARL A. ANDERSON.

